Monarch's Tale

Monarch was thought to have been the last living grizzly bear in captivity in California. Wild-caught in 1889 after a search requested by San Francisco Examiner media magnate William Randolph Hearst, he was welcomed by a crowd of 20,000 at the San Francisco train station. He lived for 16 years at Woodward Gardens, a private zoo in the Mission District, then was moved to the first city zoo in Golden Gate Park. Monarch survived the 1906 earthquake and became a symbol of San Francisco's rejuvenation. He served as the model for the grizzly bear on the California state flag, inspired Herbert Fleishhacker to pursue his dream of a San Francisco Zoo at this location, and sired two cubs during 22 years in captivity. After his death in 1911, his spirit lived on as a symbol of the city's understanding of sharing spaces with vanishing wildlife.

San Francisco, California · United States